Folding box



J. A. H. BELLAMY.

FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1921.

1L 433 62,. Patented Oct. 241, 1922.

Patented Get. 24, 112.

N ll

JAMES A. H. BELL, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

romm'e Box.-

Application filed February 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES A. H. BELLAMY, citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Wyandotte, State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Boxes, of which the following is 'a complete specifi iation.

This invention relates to folding boxes and has for its object to produce a box of such character that it may be readily folded into a very small space when not in use.

Another object is to produce a box of this character which is unincumbered with a series of complicated locking devices for securing the box in either closed or open position.

A further object is to produce a box of a character especially adapted for forming a container for articles of special shape, such as a slice of pic of tapering form, the box being of such outline as to readily receive and hold a piece of pie and be conveniently carried or placed within the usual lunch box Without taking up an excessive amount of room. I

A still further object is to produce a device of this character of comparatively durable, efficient and inexpensive construction,

and with these objects inview the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box with the corners of the top broken away to more clearly illustrate features otherwise hidden;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the box with its four walls occupying the same horizontal plane as the bottom of the box;

Figure 3 is an inside perspective view of the top of the box; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the box with its side walls in folded position.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 2 is the bottom of a box of substantially trapezoidal shape, and provided with a pair of sides 4 formed along their margins, as at 6, with a hinge of such character that the sides may be folded in either direction, in order that they may abut flatly either the top or bottom face of the Serial No. 448,304.

bottom 2 (see Figure 4), or stand vertically upright as shown in Figure 1.

The other margins of the bottom 2 are provided with a pair of end members, a long end member 10, and a short end member 12, both being provided with hinges as at 8 and 14 respectively, of such' character that the ends may be folded against either the inner or outer face of the bottom 2 of the box or stand vertically upright as illustrated. It will be understood in this connection that a box, either of cardboard or metal, may be made provided with suitable hinges for the operations just described, the hinges being simply formed by score lines in the case of cardboard material.

By reference to Figure 4, it will be found that the interior face of the short end 12 is provided with a block 16 against which the adjacent ends of the sides 4; are adapted to abut. In this connection it will be understood that no abutment will be necessary at the long end of the box as the oblique angle at which the two sides and the long end come together is such that the abutting ends of the sides 4 cannot fall inward but will be retained in engagement with the adjacent ends of the end member 10, as will be clearly understood from reference to Figure 1.

By reference to Figure 1, it will be noted that the top 18 has downwardly extending side margins which will overlap the sides of the box and, therefore, reliably hold such sides from swinging outwardly, while the contents of the box will prevent any inward folding movement of the sides.

' It is believed that the impracticability of a true triangular-shaped box will be clearly apparent. If the sides abutted each other at the short end of the box, they could notbe folded against the same side of the box on account of their projecting corners, and if one was folded against one side of the box, and the other against the other side, the long end of the box could notbe folded against either side of the bottom on account of the projecting corners of the box.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a folding box of the character described which possesses all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom of substantially trapezoidal shape, a pair of sides hingedly connected to the bottom in such a manner that they may occupy vertical positions or flatly abut one of the faces of the bottom, a pair of ends hingedly connected to the bottom in such a manner that they may occupy vertical positions or flatly abut the other face of the bottom, and an abutment secured to the interior face of the shorter end for cont-act by the sides of the box.

2. In a folding box, the combination of a bottom of substantially trapezoidal shape,

signature.

JAMES A. H. BELLAMY. 

